Not So Normal Afternoon
by ceexotter
Summary: what happens when Lily actually says yes? Sirius has to give James a pep talk. James/Lily Fluff one-shot. read and review!


"Prongs, mate, I think its time you gave up."

"You always say that, but I swear, I'm making progress."

Sirius sighed, putting his face in his hands. "You are the most stubborn wizard I know. Well aside from my cousin, Bellatrix." He gave a dark chuckle, "She'd curse me if I gave her the advice I try to give you."

"What advice? You're telling me to give up."

"Yes, and its damn good advice because there are at least three dozen other girls who would love to be yours. They would throw themselves at you." He began listing things off on his fingers, "You are the star Gryffindor chase, you're head boy, you pass all our classes without studying." He paused, then added, "You're damn good looking."

"Padfoot, is there something you need to tell me?"

He straightened his face, "Prongs, I am extremely attracted to you. I want you to give up on Lily Evans, so you and I can run away together. And live happily ever after."

"What is this? A muggle fairy tale?"

"Quit asking me rhetorical questions."

"I will, if you be more serious about this."

"I'm always Sirius. My parents didn't give me a chance to not be."

James sent a pillow in Sirius's direction, hitting him in the face. "Shut up, mate."

Sirius feigned surprise, "What? You mean you're sick of Sirius/serious jokes? We've only been mates for six years."

"Oh, its only been that long?"

"Well it depends on when you think we became magically attached at the hip."

"I'd say the first day of classes when we made sure to let Peter fall into that vanishing stair going up from the Great Hall. And then we left him there and he was late to McGonagall's class."

Sirius gave a bark-like laugh at the memory. "Nah, before that. I'd say that it was on the train right here, when we pushed that Hufflepuff into the compartment with Bellatrix and her cronies."

James grinned. "Oh yeah! I forgot that we did that."

"Instant bond, I think."

"We've been a pair ever since!" The two boys clapped their hands together.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, lost in thought. Sirius stood up and walked to the window. "Wanna go fly around? Weather looks nice for once."

James joined him at the window, looking out over the lake. The weather really did look wonderful. He scanned the lawn quickly before looking to the pitch to see if other brooms were up in the air, however his eyes didn't quite make it to the pitch. They stopped on an oak tree near the edge of the lake where a redhead and her friends sat lounging. A wide grin spread across his face.

"Yeah, lets go!"

Sirius suddenly noticed the grin on James's face and scanned the outdoors again.

"Prongs, mate, no. We are going straight to the pitch if I allow you out of this room."

"You allow me out of this room? Who are you, my parole officer?"

"Enough with the rhetorical questions!"

"She's out there. We'll say hi real quick, and then go to the pitch. Five minutes. I promise!"

"Five minutes really means at least fifteen, depending on how short her temper is today."

"Oh, shut up. Her temper hasn't been too terribly short with me lately!"

"Exactly, which is why five minutes really means fifteen. I asked if you wanted to go outside to fly around, not harass Evans."

"I don't harass her!"

"Then why does she ask you to leave her alone after she sees your shadow?"

James scoffed. "It doesn't always happen like that! Besides, I feel like today's the day." Sirius snorted. Rolling his eyes, James turned around to grab his wand off of his night table. "Lets just go, mate."

"Straight to the pitch."

"To say hi, and then to the pitch."

"Hi and bye?"

"Hi and bye. I swear."

"Solemnly swear?"

"I solemnly swear."

With a sigh, Sirius followed James out of the room and out to the lawn.

The two didn't make it five steps around the lake before Lily was frowning. It's like her Potter sense was tingling. Sirius was also in a bad mood, even with girls staring at him left and right.

"Prongs, this is a bad idea. She's already pissy, can't you tell?"

"Sure, I can. But I can't fly past without a 'hello'."

"Prongs, mate, I think you can."

The redhead's voice cut across their discussion, "Potter, Black, just go away. I've got to finish this essay for Flitwick and neither of you will help me an inch."

"Aw, Evans, you know I'm always helpful!"

"No, Potter, you're not," she sighed, rolling her eyes to Marlene. The two girls shared a brief smile before turning back to their essays.

"You heard the girl, Prongs. Lets go!" Sirius lifted his broom from his shoulder and was about to fly off when James started talking again.

"We'll leave if you agree to go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend?" James tried, hopefully.

"Potter, you've asked me to Hogsmeade about a million times, and each time its the same result. What makes you think that if you keep asking, the answer will change?"

"Wishful thinking, Lily dearest!" James's face spread into a goofy grin.

Lily rolled her eyes. "If it gets you to go away, I'll agree to go."

"Evans, just give me a chance!" James said, pleadingly, then he realized what she said. "Wait, what? Did you agree?"

Lily only smiled at him.

"So you'll go to Hogsmeade with me?"

Lily shrugged then nodded. James couldn't help but drop his jaw a little. He ruffled his hair, nervously. He had had a lucky feeling, but he hadn't expected her to actually agree first try. "Well, great! It's a date. It is a date, right?"

"Yes, Potter," she said with a small chuckle. "Now, collect Sirius's jaw from the grass and go fly off somewhere." She gave him a smile, then turned back to her homework, trying to ignore Marlene's shocked face.

James ruffled his hair again. "Alright, see you, then, Evans!" His heart felt ten times lighter, pounding a mile a minute. He turned to Sirius who was still frozen.

"Padfoot, come on. You wanted to fly," James said, nudging his mate out of his stupor. James hopped on his broom, with only a small glimpse back to make sure he hadn't been dreaming, and flew off towards the pitch.

Sirius caught up with him a few seconds later. James was practically flying loops around the pitch.

"Did that just happen? Did you hex her into saying yes or something?" Sirius hovered in the middle of the pitch, trying to process what happened.

"Padfoot, I would never do such a thing."

"You thought about it last year."

"Yes, but I didn't, and that's what really matters."

"And you didn't just now?"

"No, that was all Lily. 100%."

"No joke? We're not dreaming or something?"

"Nope."

"You have a date with Lily Evans." This time it wasn't a question. James's face spread into a wide smile again, as he looped lazily around Sirius.

"Damn. I never thought this would happen."

"Geez, mate. Have some faith in my lady-abilities!"

"Oh, I have faith...in how fast Evan's has gotten at rejecting you."

"Shut it, Pads."

Sirius gave a bark-like laugh as he sped off to the other side of the pitch. "Better start planning now, mate! You've been waiting for this date for nearly five years. It better be the best date Evan's has ever had, otherwise she won't come back."

James nearly slipped sideways off his broom. Now that he had the date, he didn't know what to do. Sure he had been on dates, but normally he just followed the girl around letting her parade him around. But now it was the opposite. Now he had to parade Lily around. No. Not parade. He had to give her the red carpet treatment. Everything had to be planned perfectly.

Before he knew it, he was standing on the ground, his broom loosely grasped in his hand.

Sirius landed beside him. "C'mon, Prongs. You can't tell me you haven't thought about how your first date with Evans would go, have you?"

James didn't say anything. Reality was still hitting him. Of course he had thought about how his first date with Lily would go. Everything would be perfect, because that's how she is in his mind. However, what happened when he thought about it and how their first date would actually go are very different.

He envisioned a nice walk, hand in hand, through the center of town. Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. Showing her the joke shop. Going into Honeydukes with her and buying her favorite sweets. Spending time getting to know her.

He and Lily weren't even on a first name basis. How was his perfect date going to work out? He wasn't ready for this. There was no way that he could go through with this date. He'd have to fake sick. Or make an excuse to cancel. An extra quidditch practice. Yeah, that was it.

Suddenly, James's palms were sweaty and his heart was beating faster than it ever had before. He dropped his broom and grabbed his hair in both hands.

"I can't go on a date with Lily Evans!" he exclaimed.

Sirius doubled over with laughter. "You've been asking her out for five years. She says yes, and now you're too nervous to go through with it?"

James didn't even look at his best friend. Panicked, he began pacing. "I'll just tell her that I have extra quidditch practice. Or I can prank a Slytherin and get detention. That way I really have an excuse. I can't leave the castle if I owe McGonagall a detention!"

Sirius stopped laughing. "Prongs, you're willing to get a detention to avoid going out with Evans? Are you shitting me?"

James fumed, not sure what to do next.

"You're going on that date next weekend. And its going to go well," Sirius said sternly. "I will not listen to you whine over your regret for not going. Besides, she gave you the answer you've been waiting for."

James began pacing again.

"You are James Potter. You do not back out of dates." This time Sirius had his attention. "The woman of your dreams says 'yes' and you want detention. I can't believe you!" Sirius hopped on his broom again and flew off before James could say another word.

He sighed. He could do this. Evans didn't hate him that much anymore. She said yes. And so what if she was a little moody. She said yes. She got herself into this. She was giving him a chance. He couldn't mess this up. Things would be perfect. James the Marauder would change into James Mature Potter and the date would go smoothly.

Who was he kidding. He was nervous as hell. The outcome of his future was completely grey. He mumbled "Fuck!", kicking the ground before jumping into the air on his broom again, chasing Sirius down. He tried not to look over to where Lily was study, but his eyes couldn't help it. Lily and Marlene had their heads bent together, however James knew that they weren't discussing Charms homework.


End file.
